Abutment

Abstract

The present invention relates to an abutment of a dental implant system for connecting a dental implant and a supra-structure, said abutment comprising an abutment basic body extending from an apical end to a coronal end arranged opposite to the apical end. The abutment basic body comprises a dental implant connecting portion facing the apical end and adapted to fit with a corresponding abutment connecting portion of the dental implant and/or an intermediate part to be directly or indirectly connected with the dental implant. It further comprises a support portion facing the coronal end and designed such to allow the suprastructure to be mounted directly or indirectly. According to the invention, the abutment further comprises nanostructures formed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the abutment basic body, said nanostructures extending in at least two dimensions to 200 nm at most.

1 . Abutment of a dental implant system for connecting a dental implant and a suprastructure, said abutment comprising an abutment basic body extending from an apical end to a coronal end arranged opposite to the apical end, the abutment basic body comprising
 a dental implant connecting portion facing the apical end and adapted to fit with a corresponding abutment connecting portion of the dental implant and/or an intermediate part to be directly or indirectly connected with the dental implant and further comprising   a support portion facing the coronal end and designed such to allow the suprastructure to be mounted directly or indirectly,   wherein the abutment further comprises nanostructures formed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the abutment basic body, said nanostructures extending in at least two dimensions to 200 nm at most.   
     
     
         2 . Abutment according to  claim 1 , wherein nanostructures are formed on the outer surface of a soft tissue contact region of the abutment basic body, said region being arranged between the dental implant connecting portion and the support portion of the abutment basic body. 
     
     
         3 . Abutment according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the abutment basic body on which the nanostructures are formed is smooth, preferably machined or polished. 
     
     
         4 . Abutment according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the abutment basic body on which the nanostructures are formed is minimally rough. 
     
     
         5 . Abutment according to  claim 1 , wherein the abutment basic body is made of titanium or a titanium alloy. 
     
     
         6 . Abutment according to  claim 1 , wherein said nanostructures comprise titanium hydride, particularly TiH 2 , and/or titanium oxide, particularly TiO 2 . 
     
     
         7 . Abutment according to  claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures are at least predominantly in crystalline phase. 
     
     
         8 . Abutment according to  claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures have an average length-to-diameter ratio of more than 1 to 1, preferably of at least 1.5 to 1, and more preferably ranging from 1.5 to 1 to 4 to 1. 
     
     
         9 . Abutment according to  claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures have an average diameter of about 10 nm to 150 nm and an average length of about 5 nm to 500 nm. 
     
     
         10 . Abutment according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the surface of the abutment has a hydrophilicity defined by a contact angle of less than 90°, more preferably less than  30 °, most preferably less than 10°, when contacted with water. 
     
     
         11 . Process for providing sites of improved protein adherence on an abutment basic body, wherein nanostructures are grown on the outer surface of the abutment basic body by treating it with an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         12 . Process according to  claim 11 , wherein the abutment basic body is made of titanium or a titanium alloy. 
     
     
         13 . Process according to wherein  claim 11 , wherein the aqueous solution is an acidic solution comprising at least one component selected from the group consisting of hydrogen fluoride, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, tartaric acid, oxalic acid, citric acid and acetic acid, and/or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . Process according to  claim 11 , wherein the growing of the nanostructures is performed by cathodic polarization, in which the abutment basic body forms the cathode. 
     
     
         15 . Process according to  claim 14 , wherein before performing cathodic polarization at least a portion of the outer surface of the abutment basic body is pickled with a pickling solution in order to at least partially remove a titanium oxide layer present on the outer surface. 
     
     
         16 . Process according to  claim 15 , wherein the pickling solution comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, ammonium fluoride, hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid, and/or mixtures thereof, particularly a mixture of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid. 
     
     
         17 . Process according to  claim 14 , wherein cathodic polarization is performed in a buffer having a pH in the range from 0 to 6. 
     
     
         18 . Process according to  claim 14 , wherein cathodic polarization is performed at a temperature in a range from 5 to 95° C., preferably from 10 to 75° C., more preferably from 15 to 50° C., most preferably at about room temperature. 
     
     
         19 . Process according to  claim 11 , wherein nanostructures are grown on the outer surface of the abutment basic body by storing it in the aqueous solution. 
     
     
         20 . Process according to  claim 19 , wherein the storing is performed for at least one month, more preferably at least two months, most preferably at least four months. 
     
     
         21 . Process according to  claim 19 , wherein the storing is performed above room temperature, in particular at a temperature in a range of 50° C. to 250° C., more particularly 100° C. to 180° C., and most preferably about 120° C. to 150° C.